The other day I was participating in a Twitter chat where several people were sharing sunrise and sunset photos. It was quite enjoyable seeing these amazing photos fly across my Twitter stream. So I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite sunrise and sunset photos from my midlife travels. After all, enjoying a sunrise or a sunset in a new destination is one of my favorite ways to start or end the day when I travel.

Photographing a sunrise or sunset can be tricky, especially with a DSLR camera that requires the settings to be just right. I’ve missed capturing good photos of a lot of great sunsets simply because my midlife brain couldn’t remember which mode or settings I needed for my DSLR. Fortunately smartphone camera technology compensates for my shortcomings as a photographer. The photos in this post were taken over the last few years on smartphones; a Motorola Droid Turbo, a Motorola Droid Turbo 2, and a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, all provided to me by Verizon Wireless (thank you very much!).

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Sunset over the Black Warrior River in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Vienna, Austria

Sunset behind the Schoenbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria

Douro River Valley, Portugal

View from the Sandman Winery of the sunsetting over Portugal’s Douro River Valley

Kazakhstan

Sunrise over the desert in Kazakhstan during the Mongol Rally

Mexico

Morning sunrise from the Karisma Azul Sensatori Resort near Cancun, Mexico

Flathead Lake, Montana

I’m not the only one who loves a good sunset. Travel bloggers from around the world gathered to watch this on on Flathead Lake, Montana

The Galapagos Islands

So many memorable sunsets in the Galapagos Islands on my adventure with International Expeditions. I captured this sunset behind our ship, the Evolution, from a panga after a day at Mosquera beach.

Maui, Hawaii

Spectacular sunsets are the norm in Maui, Hawaii

Juneau, Alaska

While at the Juneau airport returning home after an unforgettable journey with UnCruise, I was fortunate to capture one final Alaskan sunset.

Great Smokey Mountains National Park

Thanks to the park’s rangers for tipping us off on a great place to capture a sunrise over the Great Smoky Mountains.

Fairhope, Alabama

The good people of Fairhope, Alabama get to witness sunsets like this one over Mobile Bay every day!

Gargano, Italy

In the Gargano region of Italy, sunsets over the Adriatic Sea are second only to the incredible food.

Where were your most memorable sunrises and sunsets?